How do I know if an email is really from Alibaba.com?

Fraudsters typically send emails using fake email addresses. Some of these addresses may appear to be real such as tradealert@service.alibaba.com orsecurity@alibaba.com.

Please be aware that the ‘From’ field in emails can be easily altered and that it is not a reliable indicator of the true origin of an email.

Non-Personal or Generic Greetings

Most fraud emails start with a generic greeting such as ‘Dear Alibaba Member’ or Dear Alibaba User’. Please note that emails from Alibaba.com start with your first name, i.e. ‘Dear/Hi Tanya,’.

Stress Urgency/Threaten Your Account Status

Fraudulent emails typically claim that your account has been suspended and that you need to supply your personal information, such as your Member ID, password or credit card number (usually without any explanation).

They will also try to scare you into "taking urgent action" by threatening to suspend your account if you do not provide sensitive information as soon as possible.

Fake Website Addresses (URLs)

Fake emails usually contain website addresses (URLs) that link to fake websites that then ask for your personal information.

Please note that if Alibaba.com requests information from you, we will always direct you back to the Alibaba.com site (www.alibaba.com).

Fake Feedback Forms

Many fraud emails will ask you to click a link or complete a form which is similar to those provided by Alibaba.com. Through this ploy, fraudsters hope to trick you into sharing your personal details, such as your Member ID, password or credit card information.

Constant Reference to the Alibaba.com User Agreement

In their emails/websites, fraudsters constantly refer to the Alibaba.com User Agreement in order to appear legitimate and authoritative. To counter this, just email our Customer Service Team at alibaba@service.alibaba.com.

Fake Alibaba.com Sign-Off

To appear legitimate, fraudsters will also sign off their fraudulent emails using normal Alibaba.com sign offs, such as xyz@security.alibaba.com. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of the email that you received or are concerned that you may have been a victim of phishing emails/websites, please contact us and sign in to My Alibaba to change your password immediately.

Learn more about how to protect yourself from phishing emails, please click here.